Hydrophis viperinus

Hydrophis viperinus, the viperine sea snake, is a species of Elapidae (Hydrophiinae-sea snake) and Thalassophina viperina is its synonym. It is thought to be naturally rare but widespread.[1] It is venomous.[2]

Viperine sea snake
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Hydrophis
Species:
H. viperinus
Binomial name
Hydrophis viperinus
(Schmidt, 1852)
Synonyms

Praescutata viperina (Schmidt, 1852) Thalassophina viperina (Schmidt, 1852)

Diagnostic characters

Scales hexagonal, juxtaposed, in 27-34 rows on the neck, 37-50 at midbody; ventrals 226-274, anteriorly about half the width of the body, narrowing posterior to about twice the width of the adjacent scales, or slightly less; head shields entire, nostrils superior, nasal shields in contact with one another; prefrontals longer than broad, not in contact with upper labials; 1, rarely 2, pre- and 1-2 postoculars; 7-9 upper labials, 3-5 bordering eye (sometimes only 3-4 or 4-5); usually 1 anterior temporal, occasionally 2 or 3; body color, more or less bicolored, gray above, white below, the 2 usually clearly demarked on the sides, often with 25-35 dark rhomboidal spots, rarely with dark bands. Total length males 925 mm, females 820 mm; tail length males 100 mm, females 80 mm.

Distribution

Northern coasts of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific: from the Persian Gulf to around India to Indonesia and southern China. IUCN lists the following countries: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India (Andaman Is., Nicobar Is.), Indonesia, Iran Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.[1]

References
  1. Rasmussen, A.; Sanders, K. & Lobo, A. (2010). "Hydrophis viperinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2012.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Praescutata viperina at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 28 October 2012.


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